Doesn't the day go better when you feel well rested? We don't need the science to know that, we can feel it in our physical and mental health. You have probably also read about the weight gain, lowered immunity and increase in certain conditions when sleep has taken a back seat, not to mention the brain fog and the way the tiredness makes us reach for the foods that are full of saturated fat and sugar.
Yes please to Beauty Sleep
The phase beauty sleep has been around for a long time but how does having a good nights sleep and feeling well rested help us to have great skin? Lets focus on one area- the fatty and sugary foods I've just mentioned. It is your body's natural response to make you reach for those sort foods of foods when you are tired and running on empty (and when emotions appear- but that's another blog).
Lets hear it for the hormones
Don't shame yourself for those cravings, but recognise that it is not always about hunger and consider that your body may actually be craving some decent shut eye. There are some studies linking a diet high in saturated fat with skin problems but the big culprit is sugar. The clients that i work with often have very imbalanced and unstable blood sugar levels. Why does this matter? because if one type of hormones in the body is impacted, it impacts all of them- cue various imbalanced hormones which then contribute to skin problems. By the way, blood sugar imbalances can contribute to poor sleep so it becomes a vicious circle.
What else is going on
If you are not sleeping well, you also need to bear in mind that these can also be contributing factors- perimenopause, getting older, sleep apnoea and stress.
Start taking action
Getting outdoors during the day to get some natural light , even during the winter is really important. Getting out for a morning walk (even if its just ten minutes) is a great way to start the day and tell your body and mind that it is daytime. This also helps with the next step..
Making it clear to your body and mind that it is time to sleep. This means not looking at screens before bed, having a night time/wind down routine, making sure your bedroom is dark and cool and dimming the lights a little if you can e.g. using a small lamp/side light instead of the main light for at least an hour before you expect to go to sleep.
As a herbal skincare creator, i cant miss out how helpful it can be to use skincare and body care routines and scents to help to wind down and sleep well. You will find some scents more restful and relaxing than others, with lavender being a very popular one. Chamomile, rose, ylang-ylang and geranium are just a few of the others that can help. Keeping something on your bedside table can be a useful reminder to help you get in to a routine- whether its a herbal eye pillow, a soothing foot balm, night cream or a scalp massaging tool there will be something that works for you.
Sleep is free and like anything else, we sometimes just need to make it more of a priority and not forget how effective it is for great skin (and to generally feel better!)
Naturally Grown Health helps Women to transform their skin naturally, with a handmade herbal skincare range and nutrition and lifestyle coaching so you can nourish your skin inside and out. www.naturallygrownhealth.co.uk
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